


And He Had Already Accepted It

by MonstrifraMinerva



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: A Steven universe AU, Alternate Universe, M/M, basically rupphire but Oppositeshipping, no fusion tho sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-11 12:41:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15315735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonstrifraMinerva/pseuds/MonstrifraMinerva
Summary: Kai Smith was a simple bodyguard, assigned to protect the noble psychic Zane Julien. But after a simple mission goes wrong, both Kai and Zane start to question their views on their society, and each other.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone!! I saw no one made this connection yet so I decided to write it myself!! I also posted this to my wattpad but I'm more of an ao3 person so, here we are! I hope you enjoy!

Out of all the diplomats to be sent to the new colony, Zane Julien had of course predicted he would be the one to go. His father had ordered him to travel to the Sky Arena, protected by bodyguards of course, to meet with the overseer of the colony and tell of what was yet to come with regards to the rebels deterring the colony's progress. 

So while Zane said his goodbyes to his father and brother (a defect, who could only predict the past), he double and tripled checked he had everything he required for the journey and made double and triple sure the bodyguards knew their mission with every detail. He was about to quadruple check when he saw two of the guards, the females, both give him a glare. With all the checking out of the way, the four passengers, Zane and his three bodyguards, boarded the train headed to the Sky Arena. 

Meanwhile, the bodyguards took to gossiping. The three had been friends for most of their lives, with two of them actually being siblings, so while their clique type attitudes seemed strange to Zane, the other three felt comfortable around each other exclusively. 

"I heard the rebels eat nothing but mud and grass!" Skylor, the red haired girl whispered. 

"That can't be true, they don't look malnourished or anything!" Nya, the other girl, answered, with bored skepticism at her friend. 

"I dunno, sis, the rebels seem pretty crazy, maybe crazy enough to eat mud!" Kai, the only boy and Nya's older brother, chided both the others enough to start an argument over the situation. And so of course, the whole train ride was Nya and Skylor arguing over mud. 

The train wound its way up the looming Mt. Golden, getting ever closer to the monument in the clouds. The Sky Arena was already filled with nobles under the overseer's court, with the chit chat of rebel attacks filling the air. As the four individuals entered the arena, they were immediately deafened by the amount of noise inside, especially compared to the calm outside of the mountain. 

"I can't wait 'til those rebels show up, so I can punch them right in their faces!" Kai exclaimed, flashing an excited grin. 

"What are you talking about?" Skylor replied. "I'm gonna punch the rebels all over their bodies, and then, it'll be over." 

"Guys, we're supposed to work together," Nya cut in, "That's why they sent three of us." 

Skylor scoffed. "Three this!" She lurched toward Nya, but miscalculated Nya's dodge. Her hit landed on Kai, sending him backwards. 

"Gah!" Kai exclaimed as the red head hit him, and as he fell backwards he felt his fall being cushioned by something cold yet soft. 

There was a gasp amongst the crowd. Kai looked back and saw that he had knocked into Zane, an extremely offensive action in the eyes of upper class civilians. 

SHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT, Kai screamed in his head. "O-oh god," he said aloud, "I'm s-so sorry, I, I um," he struggled to form words in his terrified state. "I just, I didn't mean to, I-"

"Hey," Zane cut in. "I'm fine." 

"W-what?" Kai certainly didn't see this type of reaction coming from a noble. 

"I said it's okay. It was bound to happen." Zane's face didn't show any clear signs of anger, but he wasn't really smiling either, so Kai didn't exactly feel out of the water yet, especially with everyone else's eyes on him. 

"You three stay here while I converse with the overseer," Zane said, "do not worry, I will not tell him about you three's rough-housing." A small smile tugged at his mouth, but he forced it back down. 

The three bodyguards made grunts of understanding, positioning themselves in uniform fashion. 

As the psychic walked towards the giant tent-like structure, Kai couldn't help but sneak a glance towards Zane, as well as where he was headed. The "palanquin", as it was called, was nothing more than a throne surrounded by stairs leading up to it. The small, fragile looking roof was supported by fours beams in the corner, and the walls were made of a partially transparent cloth, creating a sort of curtain around the overseer. Kai noticed the shape of the overseer, a man by the name of Cyrus Borg, who was rumored to be forcefully turned into a robot and stripped of all sympathy. It seemed the rumors were true, as Kai saw spider-like appendages in the place of the man's legs and a large hunk of metal covering the right side of his face. By the overseer's side was what must have been his personal servant, and although Kai couldn't see her completely, he figured she was a robot too, a full one. 

"Kai!" Nya hissed, giving him a slap on the back of the head. "Focus!" 

"Sorry," Kai said sheepishly, but he still kept his gaze towards Zane and Cyrus Borg. What were they going to do in there?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two is up, yay!! If that's okay I put my OC (who shares the same name as me, but that's a story in itself) in as Pearl, but unlike Pearlrose my OC and Garm have a parental/platonic relationship; I hope you all enjoy!!

"Your excellency," Zane greeted the overseer, bowing down as he parted the thin curtains of the palanquin. He stepped forward, taking in the sight of his current superior.

"Mr. Julien," Cyrus Borg rasped out, with a robotic voice that seemed not quite his own, "You have been called here today for one specific purpose. Do you know what that is?" 

"Yes sir," Zane nodded. "I am here to foresee the upcoming rebel attack." He kept his posture straight and hands folded, intimidated by the metallic monstrosity in front of him. 

"Very good..." Borg nodded back. "Now, Mr. Julien, I am a very busy man. I don't have all day for this debacle. What is it you foresee for the attack?" 

Zane closed his eyes and took a sharp breath in. In the darkness of his mind, he began to see. "The rebels will attack shortly," he announced. "They will injure, but not kill, seven of us. This includes two of my guards, and myself. Then the rebels will be cornered, and shortly after taken into custody. The rebellion ends here." 

Zane opened his eyes again to see the relieved face of the overseer. 

"Thank you, Mr. Julien," Borg said, the soft smile on his face contrasting sharply with the large mechanical structure of his body. "That's all I needed to know." 

"I look forward to speaking with you again shortly once I recover from my injuries," Zane said, bowing again to pardon himself before walking back out to his guards. 

"So," Kai asked as the psychic walked back from the palanquin. "How did it go?" 

Zane stayed silent, his eyes downcast. 

Kai started to sweat, both from fear of the noble and from how embarrassing he thought he was being. "You know, this mountain really is beautiful," he nervously said, trying to lift the tension and break the ice. 

Zane smiled. "Indeed. I just wish I had gotten to see more of it." 

"There's still time to walk around and look at the view, if you want us to accompany you."

Zane let his mouth curl into a small, sad smile. "That is a nice thought, but, no..." his face fell back into its downcast state. 

"CYRUS BORG!" A shouting was heard from off in the distance. 

"It's the rebels!" Nya cried, pointing off somewhere to Kai's left. Kai swiftly turned, seeing the rebels in person for the first time. 

There he stood, Master Garmadon, with his prodigy, Minerva Walker. They both were perched towards the top of the Sky Arena, Garmadon with his staff and Min with a simple sword. The two actually seemed less scary in person than Kai thought they would, especially since it was only two people. 

"You will not take advantage of this land any more!" The master shouted. "Leave this place, return to your homeland, and do not come back here!" 

Panicked whispers filled the arena. Cyrus Borg had in fact already fled the scene with his servant, hurrying away using his robotic legs. Two of his own guards remained, however, and they headed straight for the rebels. Min leaped off from her perch above, striking down on both of the guards at once with one horizontal slash. She kept at them until they were incapacitated, but not dead. 

"Let's go, guys! What're we waiting for?" Skylor ordered the other two, already rushing in herself. 

Kai snapped out of the daze he was in while watching the fight, and he rushed alongside his friends toward Master Garmadon. 

"Guys! Triple Attack Formation!" Nya shouted out. The three attempted to get into position for their special attack, but before Kai could even take another step, he felt the world give under his feet. He landed on the ground with a crash, confused as to what just happened. He looked up and saw Master Garmadon standing behind them and facing away from them. Wasn't he just in front of them? And where was his prodigy? 

He looked over to his right and saw Nya and Skylor already defeated by Min, the armored girl raising her sword triumphantly. He gasped at what he realized would happen next. Min had spotted her next target, the only person in the crowd not fleeing or fighting. Zane. 

The girl quickly went for the easy target, speeding towards the young man and stopping right in front of him. She paused, scanning him for any tricks or deceptions, before raising her sword. 

What is he doing? Kai frantically thought. He's going to get himself killed! 

"Kai," Zane called out to the guard. Kai snapped his attention to Zane's words, scared of what was to come. "Good job," Zane gave a smile. "You did your best." 

Zane had already accepted his fate. He knew every moment of his life, how it began, and how it would end. This was just another moment in that large timeline of life, and he had accepted all of it. But Kai. Kai could not. 

"No!" Kai jumped up, racing to get to Zane before he got hurt. Just as Min was about to strike, he tackled Zane, keeping them both out of harm's way. He heard the high pitched scraping sound of Min's sword swiping the floor, but kept his body shielding Zane's, squeezing his eyes tight just in case an attack came at him. 

"U-um, what is... this..." Zane trailed off from beneath him. Kai opened his eyes and immediately felt himself choke on nothing. Face to face would be an understatement to how they were. They were so close that their noses were touching, and all Kai could see were the icy blue eyes of the noble underneath him. 

God, he thought, how are his eyes so bright?

Kai quickly propped himself up, and found himself feeling even more embarrassed, not even thinking about the rebel swords-woman that could attack. The way they had landed had Kai, the lower class bodyguard, on top of and and this point basically straddling, the higher class psychic Zane, who lay defenseless on the marble floor of the arena. Kai didn't even hear the offended gasp of the crowd this time, he was too entranced by the young man who lay beneath him. 

Meanwhile Garmadon and Min had both paused when the nobles did, looking at the embarrassing sight before them. Min saw her opening, and raised to strike, but Garmadon grabbed her arm, holding her back. "Wait," he whispered to her. "This is..." Garmadon was about to finish, when he noticed the crowd whip their attention back towards them. "Let's go," he ordered, tugging on Min's arm. 

"Uh, bye!" Min awkwardly shouted out, and threw down a smoke bomb. When it cleared, the two rebels were gone. 

With the rebels gone, the crowd turned their attention back to Zane and Kai, the two still in that unfortunate position on the ground. They had never seen such a blatant slap to the face to an upper class civilian before, this offensive position with a noble. Zane heard their protests: 

"Disgusting!"

"Unbelievable!"

"This is unheard of!" 

Cyrus Borg, having just returned, rose above the crowd. "The rebels have escaped! Mr. Julien, this is not the scene you described!" 

Zane pushed himself from under the bodyguard's grip, quickly standing up to properly address the overseer.

"This, this is not what I saw!" Zane pleaded. "I don't know what happened, I-"

"No!" Kai shouted, jumping up from the marble floor and standing in front of Zane, seemingly guarding him. "It was me! This was my fault!" 

"Clearly," Borg growled. "How dare you even touch a member of this court!" 

"Forgive me!" Kai begged, "I-"

"You will be executed for this!" Borg roared. 

The crowd closed in around the psychic and the guard. Kai felt himself hyperventilating, repeating in his head the word "executed" in his head. Who knew his life would end this way? Killed for doing his job, protecting the noble class. In a strange way, however, he felt comforted. Zane was safe, and that was all that mattered. Zane couldn't be replaced. Kai was just a common guard, there were tons of others just like him, and so while he was scared, he had accepted his death. 

But Zane had another plan. 

As the crowd cornered them, Zane grabbed onto Kai's wrist. He looked for an opening in the mob, and once he found one, burst off running. 

"Woaaaaaaahh!" Kai yelped as he was thrust forward, being pulled along by Zane. "What are you doing?!" He shouted as they approached the edge of the Sky Arena. Man, Zane was faster than Kai expected, and Kai was almost out of breath as they approached the edge. But Zane wasn't stopping. At the last moment, Kai looked back at the mob chasing them, who were still far behind them. But his attention was forced back to Zane as he realized Zane had jumped off the edge, still keeping a tight grip on Kai's wrist. 

"Noooo!" Kai screamed as he realized they were both falling through the clouds and not planted on the Sky Arena's marble flooring. 

And Kai thought that's how he would die, forced off a building a thousand feet in the air, by a crazed noble that he was supposed to protect. But he was wrong.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 3 is up!!! heres where a lil bit of the gay happens ;)c

Kai squeezed his eyes shut as he prepared for the hard impact of the ground beneath him, but was surprised when he felt himself floating slowly downwards. He looked up and saw Zane, still holding his wrist, seeming to float downwards. He looked lost in thought, and Kai could see his cold breath as he exhaled.

Kai looked down and saw why they were descending so slowly. Rocket boosters? Why did such a refined noble have rocket boosters on hand? Kai supposed it didn't really matter, since at least he wasn't going to become a human pancake. 

As they approached the ground, Kai heard a sputtering noise, and Zane murmured the words "uh oh". He saw black fumes rising from the boosters, and looked up to see Zane in mild distress. Suddenly, Kai felt himself pick up speed, Zane right behind him, and luckily they were only a few yards from the ground as they fell. As Kai hit the ground, he heard Zane land somewhere close to him, but much softer than Kai had landed. 

Kai picked himself up quickly, wanting to see if Zane was okay. He spotted Zane a few feet away, unharmed and shaking off the smoke from his boots. He sped over to the psychic, and shook away more of the surrounding smoke with his hands. As they cleared away the smoke, Kai noticed that it was starting to rain, a light drizzle helping to clear away the smoke. 

"I apologize. I am out of gasoline for my boosters," Zane said calmly. 

"Out of gas? But-" Kai looked up at the clouds from where they came. "No! Oh god, no! I've got to get you back up there!" He hurried over to the mountains base to see if they could climb back up to the arena. However, even at the base the mountain it was too steep to climb up there without any equipment. 

"Aaaggghh!" Kai screeched as he became more frustrated. What could they do to get Zane back up there? It was impossible! "Why did you do that?!" He screamed. "Now we can't get back up there!" 

"But they were going to hurt you!" Zane said, his voice quivering slightly. 

"Who cares? There's tons of other guards just like me!" Kai shouted back. He went back to looking for a way up the mountain. 

Meanwhile, Zane was silent, thinking to himself. He had always been aware of his entire life, and exactly how everything would happen. But because Kai had jumped the track of fate, everything from that moment on was wrong. Zane couldn't see, he couldn't feel, he was... frozen. 

Kai turned back towards Zane, and noticed the ice crystals forming, already trapping him up to his knees. 

"Oh, shit," Kai whispered to himself, and sprinted back over to help Zane. "Hey, hey, are you okay? Can you hear me?" Kai tried to get Zane's attention, to no avail. He went around to the back of Zane, wrapping his arms around Zane's waist and pulling him from the ice. With a few loud cracks, he was pulled free. Kai repositioned his arms so he could pick up Zane bridal style, and in response Zane wrapped his arms around Kai's neck. 

"We've gotta get you out of this rain," Kai softly said, looking around for any type of shelter. There was a forest a couple hundred feet away, and so he headed off towards it, carrying the noble in his arms. 

After navigating his way through the trees for some time, Kai spotted a small cave just big enough for them to rest in. He ducked inside it, carefully setting Zane down on the cold stone.  
"Thank you," Zane said, shaking his arms to get rid of access rain water. He then grabbed the left side of his exterior face plate and popped it off his body. Kai, who had not been paying much attention, whipped his head towards Zane in shock. 

"What the hell?!" Kai screeched, not used to someone ripping off their face in front of him. 

"Oh, I hope you do not mind," Zane said simply. "Because I had leaned towards your body, meaning to my left, all the water flowed to the left side of my face plate. I just have to wipe off the extra water." 

Kai stood in shock for a few seconds, before connecting the dots. "Wait, you're a robot?" He asked, still extremely confused. 

"Yes?" Zane replied, as though it had been obvious. "I know my exterior shell makes me appear more human, but I thought it was fairly easy to tell I am not organic?" 

"No, not at all actually," Kai said hesitantly, though that did explain why Zane's eyes were so bright. He thought back to when he and the droid were up close, and he could see the icy eyes in his mind, an ice that to him seemed more warm and welcoming rather than cold and distant. He felt himself grow warm on just the thought. 

"Oh my gosh!" Zane exclaimed as the cave lit up before him. Kai looked down at his feet and saw that he had accidentally lit some stray sticks on fire. 

"Oh, sorry about that," Kai apologized sheepishly. "It's just my power, you know." 

Zane nodded. "Like me with my ice." 

"At least we can keep warm now, though," Kai said, gathering up the burning sticks to create a small fire pit for the two. 

After Kai finished creating the fire pit, silence quickly fell over the two, and they both watched the rain start to pour down upon the evergreen trees. Kai kept glancing at the robot near him, who was still wiping off various body parts from the water. 

"I wanted to say thank you again," Zane said, cutting through the silence in the cave. 

Kai scoffed. "For what? I haven't saved you or anything. We're still down here in the wilderness." 

Zane chuckled to himself. "You already did," he mumbled. 

"What?" 

"I said you already saved me." 

Kai let out a frustrated sigh. "Yeah, sure, whatever..." he grumbled. 

"You know, I've never been that close to someone before," Zane thought aloud. 

"Psh, really? But that was the equivalent of like, a hug," Kai replied with some disbelief. 

Zane shook his head. "You forget I am a noble. Our polite mannerisms sometimes make us... cold." His face became downcast. "My family is very loving, but we have always been somewhat distant." 

"Oh, I'm sorry, uh," Kai didn't know exactly how to respond. "I can't even really imagine that. My sister and I have always been really close." 

"Hm, I see," Zane responded half-heartedly. 

Noticing Zane's hurt expression, Kai tried to shift the subject. "So, uh, I guess you've never been in such a stressful situation as that though, huh? I mean, you could've died!" 

Zane shook his head. "I know I would not have been killed. I foresaw just a simple injury, and the rebels would be captured after attacking me. But now..." he trailed off. 

"But now fate has changed," Kai finished for him. 

Zane nodded in response. "I thought I knew everything about the timeline, but now I am as in the dark as you are." 

"I'm sorry," Kai said. "I really messed this all up, and now you're stuck down here with me of all people." He slid his back down the wall of the cave, slumping into a sitting position on the ground. 

"No," Zane countered. "What confuses me the most is that I do not mind it at all. I've never felt this way before, where I do not know what comes next, but I know everything will be okay." 

Kai lifted his head. "I know how you feel," he said quietly. "I don't know why, but being here with you just feels...nice, I guess. It's different. You're different." 

Zane just smiled in returning, looking thoughtfully down at the fire. Kai just watched him, lost in the icy eyes of the noble slowly melting as he drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter has so much gay,,, so much,,,

Zane awoke to a stream of sunlight hitting his eyes. He rose off the stone floor, gathering a bearing of his surroundings. He looked over to see a sleeping Kai, lightly snoring and clutching a rock. Zane smiled to himself at the sight. 

He waited around a half hour more for his guard to wake up, and once he did, they immediately started out for food. 

"Here, let me help you up," Kai offered as they ascended a hill. He took the noble's hand and pulled him up. 

"Wow," Zane exhaled as he came into view of the morning sun. He found himself staring at it, feeling the guard beside him entwine their fingers. 

Throughout the day, the two explored the forest and the surrounding meadows. At one point, while Zane was watching a butterfly, Kai ran up to him and presented him with a frog, which proceeded to eat the butterfly. They found a few berries which Zane confirmed to be nonpoisonous, and they even found an apple tree (Kai had feasted on around ten apples by the end of the day). 

When night fell, the two stargazed on the same hill they had watched the morning sun. Zane felt the flowers and grass support his body, wondering how they could be so soft. He barely had any interaction with nature before this, and all this was starting to become overwhelming. But the stars in the dark sea of the sky helped him feel at ease. 

"So, um," Kai mumbled, trying to get his words out but not knowing how. "Well I just can't stop thinking, about all this," he said nervously. Zane noticed a blush on his face. 

"So, um," Zane repeated. "Do you... do you really think I'm different?" 

Kai nodded. "And you haven't ever done anything like this before, have you?" He asked jokingly. 

Zane chuckled, a light and airy noise, and Kai couldn't help but grow warm at it. "When would I ever have a chance to do something like this?" he replied. 

Kai suddenly felt a pang of guilt, being the reason Zane was down here and not with his family back home. "I'm... I'm so sorry, for trapping you here," he mumbled. 

"No no, don't be!" Zane shouted, startling Kai for a second. "I wouldn't trade this for the world!" 

"But, now you're here, forever!" Kai sat up and raised his hands in frustration. "Your whole life is ruined because of me!" 

"What about you, though?" Zane countered, sitting up as well. 

"Me? What about me?"

"Well you're here with me too," Zane quietly reassured him. "We're here, together." He put his hand over Kai's, looking closely at the fire elemental. He noticed all the scars over Kai's face, the most prominent one cutting through his left eyebrow, then focusing on the amber eyes of the boy. 

"Come with me," he ordered, standing and pulling Kai with him. He started off towards a more densely wooded area. He start humming a tune, barely audible at first, but slowly rising in volume. Kai didn't recognize the melody, but he soon found himself entranced in it, letting himself be led by the psychic. 

Zane stopped abruptly in the middle of a small clearing in the woods, with Kai almost bumping into the back of him. Zane turned around towards the other boy. 

"Excuse my bluntness, but... would you like to dance?" Zane held out his hand hesitantly, and Kai just as hesitantly accepted it. 

"I... I don't know how to dance, though..." Kai trailed off, now feeling like this was a dream. "At least, not like the upper class do..." 

Zane smiled softly. "I can teach you." 

He pulled Kai closer towards him and placed his arm around Kai's shoulder. Kai responded by placing his hand on Zane's waist and stepping even closer. 

Zane looked away, his face turning red. "I believe we are not supposed to be so close," he said nervously. 

"Who's here to say we can't?" Kai replied softly, being close enough to whisper to the robot. 

Zane in response let out a small laugh. "I suppose you are correct," he said, beginning to hum again. 

The two gradually started to dance, slowly swaying back and forth, Zane humming his melody and Kai eventually joining in. Kai found himself moving closer to the android's face, getting caught in the oceanic eyes once more. 

Kai snapped out of it when Zane closed his eyes, pressing their foreheads together. The robot seemed calm and content, humming along to his own made up melody. 

Kai felt his face warm up, slightly flustered from Zane's actions. 'Do it', his head told him. 'Just do it, before it's too late'. Watching Zane sway slowly to his own melody, Kai felt himself grow restless as he argued with himself. 'What if he gets mad? He won't get mad, he did kinda save you from imminent death after all. But would things be awkward? What if he does like it?' 

Kai decided there was only one way to end the conflict in his head. He clenched his eyes shut and smashed his mouth against Zane's. The other boy's humming stopped abruptly, and he led his hands up to cup Kai's face. In response Kai pulled Zane's body against his in an attempt to get even closer to the boy. 

Zane giggled into the kiss, feeling a giddiness he had never felt before. The heat of the other boy made him feel on fire, but also wrapped in a pleasant warmth. He could hear the steam sizzling off of them both from the fire and ice mixing. 

Kai slowly pulled away from Zane's cold lips, feeling the cool breath of the android shake as the two separated. "Hey," he huffed out, in a voice low enough to make Zane shiver, "I know how stupid and definitely not allowed this is, but god," he panted a few times, both overwhelmed and out of breath, "I just want to kiss and hold you, and just be with you. Is that crazy?" 

"No," Zane replied, "I don't think that's crazy at all. Unless, we are both crazy," he smirked, causing Kai to beam. 

"You're such a nerd," Kai snickered, "Just kiss me again."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally at the last chapter!! I hope you all enjoy it!!

The following morning, the two boys headed out from the cave again back into the forest. Zane nervously asked if he could hold Kai's hand, and Kai just as nervously agreed. They both felt different on this day somehow, but it was a feeling that they knew they could get used to. 

"So, where to first?" Kai asked, squeezing Zane's hand tighter to get his attention as they walked. "Food, water, what do we need?" 

"Hmm, I suppose we should find some breakfast first," Zane pondered aloud. "It is, after all, the most important meal of the-" he was cut off as he tripped over a branch, taking Kai down with him. As they fell, they both rolled down a hill and through some bushes. 

"Ow," Kai groaned as they finally landed. 

"Are you okay?" Zane found Kai's hand again and intertwined their fingers. 

"Yeah, just sore," Kai managed out. 

"Hey!" The two heard a voice near them, and the sound of a sword being unsheathed. They both sat up to see the rebel Min Walker pointing her sword right at them. "It's you two," she addressed, tone as sharp as her weapon. 

"Don't hurt him!" Both boys shouted at the same time, Kai quickly grabbing onto Zane and shielding him from the sword. "Don't hurt us, please," Zane begged from behind Kai. "We'll go away, we promise, just leave us alone." 

"No no, please," another voice cut in. The rebel leader Garmadon emerged from the surrounding foliage, nodding to Min as an order to put her weapon down. "I'm glad to see you two again." 

And there they were, Master Garmadon, the leader of the rebellion, and his terrifying renegade student, Minerva Walker. 

"We don't... upset you?" Kai asked tentatively, holding Zane tighter. 

Garmadon snorted. "Who cares about how I feel? How you feel is bound to be much more interesting." 

"W-well," Kai started, still hesitant, "I, for one, feel lost, a-and scared, but happy." 

"Why am I so sure," Zane cut in, "that I'd rather be this, than everything I was supposed to be, and that I'd rather do this than everything I was supposed to do?" 

Min giggled. "Welcome to Ninjago." 

Zane pushed out of Kai's protective grip, standing up. "Can you tell me, how was Kai able to alter fate? Why am I so willing to give up everything? What, is this?" 

Garmadon smiled knowingly. "No more questions." He leaned down and grabbed Kai's hand, helping him up, then grabbed Zane's hand, connecting them all. "Don't ever question this," he said. "You already are the answer." 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wow," Lloyd said in awe. "So that's how you two met?" 

Zane nodded towards his "nephew" and Kai gave a smirk. 

"Yup, little dude, it's sappy I know," Kai tried to play it off coolly, but Zane nevertheless noticed his flushed cheeks. "Now it's time for you to go to bed though." 

"Aww, but I don't want to!" Lloyd whined. "I don't even know what the answer is!" 

"The answer?" Kai asked, confused. 

"To all those questions you guys asked my dad!" 

"Oh! That! Uh, Zane, wanna take this one?" 

Zane smiled down at his nephew. "The answer was love," he said softly, instinctively finding Kai's hand and holding it. 

"Wow, I knew it," Lloyd fibbed, tucking his covers up higher around him. 

Zane chuckled. "So did I."


End file.
